Andy, who has had his own flying licence for 15 years, said: "It's the ideal job move for me and it'll be great experience because the helicopter is usually called to the most serious incidents.

"Jane and I were very sorry to leave all our mates at Middlesbrough but no doubt, in the course of our work, we're bound to bump into them from time to time."

Grahame Pickering, chief executive of the charity, said: "We still need the support of the public to enable us to continue our lifesaving work and to employ the highly skilled staff to make our operation run smoothly.

"But being able to employ paramedics like Jane and Andy is a definite advantage to our charity."